In major setback to teaching faculty of Panjab university and educational institutions affiliated with it, the center government has clarified that it was not in favour of enhancing their retirement age from existing 60 years to 65 years, this information has been given by Amit Shukla, the Director of Higher Education of Union Human Resources Development Ministry in an affidavit filed before Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday.

The Punjab government had clarified that it was not in favour of enhancing the age limit therefore centre government cannot enhance the age limit on its own.

Hearing the petition, Justice Lisa Gill has taken the reply on record and referred the hearing of the case to the bench of Justice Amol Rattan Singh who had been hearing the case till now.

This would affect the faculty members of Panjab University and its recognized colleges who had retired and had filed petition in high court, which had granted a stay on their retirement. The high court bench had directed the Punjab government to clarify its stand and inform centre government about it. After the Punjab government sent a response in this regard to Assistant Solicitor General of India, the centre government filed its response.

It is worth mentioning that the Senate and Syndicate, the highest policy bodies of PU in 2010 and then last year had enhanced the age of retirement of Professors from 60 to 65. The PU had sent this proposal to centre government for approval but centre has not taken any decision on it as of now.

The Union Human Resources Development Ministry has already clarified that PU is neither a Central University nor a State university. Its status is of interstate body corporate as per Punjab reorganization Act 1966. Therefore the consent of Punjab government is required. Therefore the high court had directed Punjab government to file its response on the issue.

Prof B S Ghumman, Prof Amarnath Gill, Prof Manju Malhotra and several other had approached high court against their retirement. The bench had stayed the retirement and had directed union government and PU to file their response.